What is my Destiny? Book 1
by dawnoftheceruleansky
Summary: Beyond the rising sun holds the possibility of a new beginning. This flame is what delivers light in the mornings, and takes it away at night. Though, why show compassion? This bringer of life is the source of all destruction.
1. Prologue: Predestination

**A/ N Ok, so this is what I consider my first real fanfic. This is just the prologue. I will reveal the character and all other goodness later. Right now there are secrets to be kept. This story is told sort of through the eyes of another character in the world of Avatar and how the war affected said OC and their relations to the main characters. It starts basically from Book 1 all the way to the exciting conclusion of Book 3. Events are altered in order not to bore the living daylights out of the fans who know the series like the back of their hands. This is because, like I said, from the vantage point of an original character in this amazing world. Things will be different, but not drastically. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not and probably will never own Avatar: The Last Airbender. *sigh***

**UPDATE: 8/27/11 I just realized that if I italicize all of this it's considered the OC's thoughts so I can put it in first person.**

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><p><em>Every man, woman, and child has a destiny. Their lives revolve around it as a constant reminder of why they were among the living, whether or not their fate is miniscule or legendary. It is said that certain beings are destined for greatness whether honorable or terrible. Some are born into poverty while others reap the benefits; where there are leaders, there are those who follow. Some choose their own fate, to change the tides of predestination, to stand up and fight against all odds.<em>

_There is a side to every coin. What matters is which side one chose to act upon, yet in the complexity of reality that simple theory of black and white fades to grey often obscuring what man thinks to be true. What is that fine line between good and evil? Is it possible to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery? Should people give second chances to liars, to traitors? There will always be a question presented around every corner, yet not always will an answer appear on the other side._

_I've learned that in life, everyone has the chance to affect certain aspects of their own fate. I am living proof. I was amongst the few who stood against tyranny and lived to tell the tale. I command my own fate and soul. I changed the tides of predestination._

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><p><strong>I chose Master Jeong Jeong's line about the power and destruction fire possessed. It was one of those moments where you knew exactly how to describe it. <strong>

**I thought about ending with this OC saying "I am _(insert OC name)_." Yet that might have given it that over used sentence it didn't need and plus I don't want to spoil tasty secrets ^^ **

**If I don't update in a really long time, have no fear (and I certainly don't mean to tease and leave you hanging for those who actually care). I want to gather up a rough idea of how this will unfold.**

**Please treat this like any other fanfic and review respectively. As always I'm up for the constructive criticism. Thank you.**


	2. Pain

**9/9/11 UPDATE: I'M REVISING MY STORY. WHY? BECAUSE IT SUCKS, THAT'S WHY. **

**A/ N FYI Katara was 8 years old when the Southern Raid attack was launched to find the last waterbender in the South Pole. The OC is two years older than her, naturally making her 10 when the event occurred. Sokka is older by his sister by one year. Four years have passed since then. Just so you know this is AR and not AU.**

**I would like to thank ZStar2010 and IceBlueCrystal for being AWESOME beta readers; I appreciate their help (and enjoy their fanfics :) This chapter is for them putting up with me and my forgetfulness xD**

**DISCLAIMER: In no way do I own Avatar: The Last Airbender...I wish I did ;(**

**I bring you, the official start to my fanfic. Enjoy.**

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><p>Her eyes flashed open and she felt her whole body stiffen in fear. A cold sweat had broken out and she felt like the pain that had plagued her for the past few days would never leave her. She recalled the scream that had woken her for the past three nights. It echoed inside her head and haunted her. It was unlike any other nightmare she had experienced. On rare occasions did she have the same dream twice let alone multiple times. It was inconceivable to her since it was the same one from almost a year ago. She figured she had come down with a sickness; perhaps a fever was the cause for the restless nights. That was the only explanation given to her by her caretaker and took her word. However she couldn't help but treat it as an allusion, regardless of her disbelief in premonition. The girl felt as though she was on fire despite the frigid temperature around her.<p>

She sat up too quick, and regrettably, causing her head to swim and dazed her slightly. The covers were thrown haphazardly before her, an obvious result of her alarming dream state. Wasting no time, she slid her feet into a pair of brown and white fur slippers and snuck to the adjacent wall. When her forehead met the icy surface a sigh of relief escaped her lips as her fever was challenged by the cold. The young girl pulled away from the wall to avoid a painful adhesion. Instead of returning to the comfort of the thickly covered sleeping area, she grabbed her blue and white parka and slid it over top her nightwear. Carefully she navigated past the sleeping forms around her, successfully reaching the exit without disturbing them.

She lingered a while, scuffing the bountiful white powder onto a neat little pile before kicking it all away from the walk space. Arms crossed and gaze fixated on the sun she contemplated why that particular dream insisted on revisiting her, even after such a long time. The bite of the wind brought her back to her senses; no longer was she surrounded by the hellish nightmare. "Out of the fire and into the snow."

She sighed closing her eyes, a mental image of the sun radiating in her mind. Normally she welcomed its light and beauty yet for the time being she silently cursed its persistence during the winter. Nevertheless she welcomed the cold, as a friend to sit beside her, embracing its presence. She sighed wearily her eyes opening to the sight of the distant glow.

"Dang midnight sun…" She mumbled, rubbing her hands on her arms up and down then brought them together, one hand in the other, and blew a hot breath between them. She mentally scolded herself for forgetting her mittens inside but was gratefully for the frosty air. It told her she was awake and alive not trapped in the suffocating heat of her dream.

She gripped the soft fur that lined her hood and with a single swift jerk it glided over her head. The girl immediately noticed the heat trapped inside- insulated by the soft inner lining- a major contrast to the thick water proof outer layer. Another arctic blast surged through; a cold burn tickled the bare flesh on her face warning her to retreat into the shelter of the dome. She took one last fleeting look staring at the golden aurora lightly brushing over the fragile village of snow and ice and wondered if she would ever feel warmth again.

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><p>Morning arrived as soon as she feared it would, for the unfortunate girl battled with insomnia for the remainder of that bright night. She trudged to the kitchen, still in her parka and hair disheveled. She found an old woman and two other children, both barely younger than her, seated on the thick pelts that comprised the flooring.<p>

"I see you've decided to join us." The old woman spoke and gave no effort to mask the displeasure in her voice. The girl simply nodded back indifferently discarding the shrewd comment sitting across from the young boy and girl starring at her untidiness.

_Like she _doesn't_ see the dark circles under my eyes._ She thought hatefully but quickly dismissed it knowing she should be grateful for taking her in when she didn't have to.

"You're still sick. I'm assuming either the five flavored soup isn't working or you haven't had enough." Obviously she meant the latter; there wasn't anything that her soup couldn't cure, except the girl's nightmare. Neighbors would stop by when their sick needed a reliable antidote, but she couldn't see how they tolerated the taste.

"Yes mam." Lana replied weakly.

The woman slid a steaming bowl of her revered soup over and Lana promptly absorbed the contents.

Out of nowhere the girl across from her looked at her with her blue orbs and asked her a question she didn't anticipate. "Why don't you ever call her Gran- Gran?"

Kanna shot her granddaughter a look that spoke 'You know better', her famous expression. Katara cowered and resumed her meal.

"Because, she's not _my_ grandmother." The girl grumbled. _Another spoon of the soupy mess down. _She tried her hardest not to grimace when the liquid streamed down her throat and hit her stomach.

The old woman sighed, seeming somewhat annoyed. "You can call me Gran- Gran." Kanna said dryly ending the conversation.

For as long as Lana remembered living with the small family, never once did she call Kanna that. She never said the words "sister" or "brother" must less Gran- Gran. It was always "mam" this and "mam" that. She knew still had to show her respect, though it was going to take some getting used to the new title. Somehow it made her feel closer to them.

"Sokka stop slurping your soup." Kanna snapped at the young boy, bringing her attention back into focus. He had the bowl pressed to his lips and tilted. He held the container sulkily under his chin, spooning the remnants of his meal before making a hasty exit, grabbing his boomerang on the way out.

Lana became curious as to why Sokka had been rushing through his meals for the past week or so and wondered even more why Kanna let him go so willingly. She made to stand, but was cut short by said woman offering her his bowl.

"Lana, why don't you help Katara with her chores?" Her tone suggested it as a command more so than a question.

She sighed and reluctantly took it from her aged hand and watched Gran- Gran walk away.

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><p>"Scrap the ice Lana. Thaw the dinner Lana. Sweep the snow out of the igloo Lana." Said girl mocked as she made her way up the steep snowy slope. "Well I just have a question…" she started sarcastically and then abruptly spun around facing the village in the distance. "What snow are you talking about 'cause from what I see, it's everywhere!" she screamed out to the barren hills and kicked at the mound disturbing the white surface. The wind howled around her as if it mirrored her whirlwind of growing frustration.<p>

"It's all I'll _ever_ see." She said in a defeated whisper. Lana slid her hand inside her sleeve and wrapped it around a leathery object, sliding her fingers across a thin smooth surface attached to it.

As quick as it came, the wind died and so did her anger. The winds of the South were ominous; one minute it was calm then the next agitated.

Lana looked over a ridge and saw Sokka swinging his boomerang wildly around as if he were fighting an immaterial enemy. _So that's where he's bee_n.

And then there was a noise disturbing the silence. At first she thought she was hearing things, small sobs here and there, but dismissed them as the cries of the ghost of Nini. She shuddered recounting the terrifying details of the story Katara's mother Kya passed onto Kanna to be told around the campfire. Even though it was only told once, it stuck with her, chilling her to the bone.

The weeping continued, putting her slightly on edge. Cautiously Lana peered over the hilltop sinking as the snow shifted beneath her footsteps. She breathed a sigh of relief that took the form of a cloud of hot air that soon dissipated in the cold.

Katara was situated on the snowy ice ledge overlooking an abyss. She had a perfect view of a rustic Fire Navy icebreaker suspended in air by thick shards of ice in the chasm miles below them. Lana's heart jumped in her throat when she caught sight of the all too familiar red flag adorned with a black sea raven high atop a pole.

It had been four years since the last raid initiated on the South Pole. Lana's father had left her in the care of Kanna and departed with every last man of the Southern Water Tribe to fight in the war against the Fire Nation. She constantly felt distant from the tribe feeling as though she didn't belong, a feeling of deep and utter loneliness had surrounded her.

Lana looked down at the last native waterbender of the entire South Pole. "Katara?" she asked meekly. The child sniffled. _She's been crying…why do they have to cry? _She whined inwardly. She settled down beside her tensely though couldn't think of what to say, having no words of comfort for herself let alone for the little girl.

"Do you miss them?" She caught the older girl off guard as she bawled; tears flowed down her small face.

"All the time." Lana's voice went unwavering; an emotional barrier separated her from sympathizing as she pushed back her own aches stabbing at her heart. She flinched at the feeling of a tiny pair of arms wrapped tightly around her.

Katara cried like the world was going to end and it truthfully wasn't too far from it. Lana held her; the only possible thing she could do, and rocked from side to side as she felt her own tears stung her eyes, wanting to break free.

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><p><strong>A N Of course R & R, I like ConCrit, blah, blah, blah. I'm open to questions you have about Elena Lana, though I will not tell you everything. There's a lot more to the story :) The next chapter is longer, I promise.**


	3. One Hope, One Destiny

**9/5/11: UPDATE: AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO DON'T READ THE A/N'S, I'M REVISING MY STORY.**

**Wow I've gotten to another chapter xD I'm hoping to see more reviews. I thank those who faved and alerted this as well as my betas. Also if you think I'm not working on this, visit my profile and there's a list of chapters I've started.**

**This chapter is the equivalent of _The Boy in the Iceberg_.**

**DISCLAIMER: Seriously…I don't own Avatar…at all…I wish I did ;(**

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><p><em>2 Years Later<em>

She opened her eyes and found herself on the very same cliff side and it appeared that her meditation had lasted longer than she expected it would. The sun glistened on the thick snow quilt blanketing the land before her, the dull greys of the ship below contrasted against the white. A shadow had cascaded over much of the basin and was ready to swallow the icebreaker whole.

Lana peered over the ridge behind her that lead to the village in the bottom. She shook her head at the reminder of how impatient and rude she was at that point in time. She had marched up that very hill in a raging rant about how life was unfair and such, not to say that young girl wasn't still somewhere deep inside her. Little did she know her life was about to change that day forever.

She got to her feet not bothering to wipe the slushy mess off her parka and trailed down to the village.

The wind had calmed down long enough for the tribe to move about. Woman made trips to the river filling up canisters of water, the older children assisting while the youngest made to stay out of their way. Most already had fires going to boil fish and seaweed. Lana took in the smell seal jerky and artic hens as well as a variety of stews as she passed through the vicinity.

"Squid smells pretty good." Lana walked over to a boiling pot and stirred its contents. "May I?"

The woman nodded allowing her to spoon the broth into her mouth.

"Mm, delicious." Lana smiled and returned the tan woman's spoon to her.

"Thank you. It's a shame though; they're not as big as they used to be. I was lucky to find this little one. If you want you can come over later; I'll save you a slice. I know how much you love squid." The woman's round face expressed kindness toward her and she could help from returning it.

"Oh that's fine; besides you've got two little ones to feed, I can do without, though, thank you."

Lana started in the direction of the igloo. Along the way an elderly woman gave her a seaweed cookie for carrying her basket of wet clothes to her tent. She messaged her aching back though couldn't feel it on the account of her thick clothing. _Man. That would have been a lot easier if I could waterbend. _

She arrived at the outside of the formation of snow blocks. A thick pelt flapped in the doorway separating her from the inside.

"Please Sokka, I wanna come." A whinny agitated voice of a young adolescent girl sounded from inside the shelter.

"I said _no_. Besides, you're just going to be a distraction."

"No I won't." She insisted stubbornly; Lana could imagine Katara putting her hands on her hips like she always did when she wanted something bad enough.

"Alright, what's going on?"

There was the epitome of irritation and annoyance that had just entered the room.

Lana decided it best to wait for the argument to end before she entered the residence. _I'll let Gran- Gran handle this one. _A smug smile crept across her face. She took her seat on an ice block used as a makeshift bench and dusted her tan boots of the collected snow mindlessly.

"Thanks Gran- Gran!" Katara bounded through the doorway speeding past Lana, her thick brown braid flowing behind her, hair loopies flapping in the wind.

_Persistent. _The teenager shook her head playfully at the younger girl.

Sokka followed suit, whale bone fishing pole in hand. He sulked past Lana mumbling something under his breath.

_Moody._

Not long after, Lana felt the old woman's presence, yet her cold eyes seemed to linger away after her two grandchildren.

"They grew up so fast." Kanna noted in the doorway.

Lana knew she was right. The war had changed each of them in ways that wouldn't leave them unfazed.

"Relax, they'll be fine. Jeez you're making _me_ feel old." Lana felt it necessary to poke some fun once in a while, to find some relief from the reality of war. She hoped it might one day thaw Kanna's cold heart. A pair of grey eyes pierced her attempt to crack a joke. _Okay…_

"I'm going for a walk." Lana said uneasily and left the aging woman behind. _Man, she's got skin tougher than a camelepant…some people never change._

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><p>Knee deep in snow, Lana trudged where her path was days before. Snowfall had appeared the previous night, shrouding the path she took almost every morning to the river's ridge.<p>

Kneeling on her calves at the edge, she carefully leaned over and looked at her reflection in the crystal clear water. It doubled her in every way under the thin ripples. Her midnight black hair fell over well past her shoulders and skimmed the glassy surface, her eyes blending with the sapphire water.

"You look so much like your mother- from what I remember." Her wise voice paused. "Except your hair-" she said with a hint of bitterness; Lana became fully aware of each word and their special emphasizes "You got-"

"My fathers…" Lana cleared her throat after the latter word hung in her throat. A heat rose inside her giving her a newfound confidence to confront her.

"I know you didn't like my father." She started boldly tightening her fist. "And I know you don't really like me. So just please-" Her voice cracked yet strengthened with her next words, "Leave me alone." annunciating each word firmer than the first.

"You haven't changed a bit. You're just like your father." Kanna snapped bitterly.

Lana jerked her head and faced her accuser. "You didn't know my father!" A single tear streamed down her cheek but she refused to break eye contact. _I will not let her bad mouth my father._

A moment of silence washed over them. Lana believed in her every fiber that Kanna was shocked but the decrepit woman wouldn't show it.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts then." Her sour tone mingled with her words.

Lana's eyes lingered to the water once more watching Kanna's reflection fade away. _You look so much like your mother…_ The girl closed her eyes, clutching the pendant in her sleeve, trying her hardest to remember her face from that night so long ago.

_Wait a minute…What did she say after that?_ Lana's mind searched through the hidden meaning. …_From what I remember…_ "She knew my mother." She whispered. "Stupid!" She slapped her hand to her head, her lousy feelings turned cold as she watched a column of blue light erupted into the sky.

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><p>Her heart pounded in her head like water tribe drums; the deep snow hindered her from racing to the light. The amount of force it took to drive her legs through the snow caused her to take deep labored breaths through her mouth.<p>

"Katara! Sokka!" Her mouth was dry with fear her lungs burning. Looking from side to side proved useless for there wasn't a single trace of either one of them. She closed her snow- blinded eyes and shouted, "How could I be so stupid?" holding her head. "I, I should have gone with them!" Her hands trembled; she shook her head trying to hold back tears.

Biting her chaffed lip she raised her aching head and scanned the area again. All that was to be seen was blue and ice for miles. The girl whipped around and set off to scale the cliff side off to her right taking more laborious steps draining her of energy. The effort was futile for even with the better view they were nowhere in sight.

A glimpse of a small mass moving in the water caught her eye. Lana wiped her dry orbs with haste then sharply exhaled, her breath puffed in the air. _It's probably just ice._

Her gut instinct told her to run back to the village. She slid down the hill, picked up momentum and traveled along the clear path forcing herself to run despite the emanate fatigue settling in.

"Kanna!" Lana screamed as hard as her voice would allow her it carrying only yards away.

Harsh dry coughs escaped her lips caused by her burning throat. Frantically she ran down another sharp decline and stumbled to a halt at the village center, eyes searching for a familiar sight until they locked onto a long braid.

"Ah, thank the spirits." Lana ran her fingers through her hair and walked at a brisk pace towards Katara. "Where in hogmonkeys were you two?" The words came out raspy unlike her normal tone when she was upset.

As Sokka walked away, Lana was on Katara's heels following her inside one of the local tents. Lana flipped the flap aside and stared at the floor. Several pelts were layered between a small boy and the snow, one pulled snugly under his chin.

"And who is this?" She asked just above a whisper once she found her voice.

"Quiet, he's sleeping."

The small boy stirred. Lana waited for his movement to cease before she continued.

She whispered, "Who is he?" her throat ached to talk.

"His name is Aang." The words rushed out Katara's mouth as Lana pulled her from the tent.

Lana stared dead into Katara's eyes. "Where'd you find him?"

"Well…"

"Katara." Lana said sternly, her eyes remained fearless, not to tip the younger off on the potential gravity of the situation.

"Sokka and I were fishing and the boat started moving fast and it crashed and there was this iceberg and I just lost my temper and then…" Katara rambled quickly.

"Hey clam down." Lana placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Just…tell me what happened." She messaged her temples awkwardly with her padded gloves then held her throat in one hand.

Katara took a deep breath and recounted her travel downstream with Sokka and finding the kid lying motionless in the iceberg. Katara looked meekly at her friend wondering if Lana believed anything that she had said.

"So let me get this straight. You guys found him…in an iceberg?"

Katara nodded.

Lana tilted her head to the side and looked past Katara. She looked back at a puzzled Katara who was waiting for her to say more. Lana leaned in and whispered, "Did he say anything?"

"Yeah. He seemed fine. He…he wanted to go penguin sledding."

The idea seemed absurd to her. Lana opened her mouth but just stared at Katara for the longest time. "…Penguin sledding?" Lana's expression was incredulous. Again Katara nodded.

Lana looked over her shoulder saw that the villagers had gathered curiously together, looking in the two girl's direction.

"Maybe I should go wake him." Katara left her side, reentering the tent of the slumbering boy.

"Aang, Aang wake up." Katara said from within.

Lana smiled and waved at the tribe, a nervous feeling bubbled in the pit of her stomach.

A gasp sounded from inside the tent.

"It's okay. We're in the village now." Lana heard Katara reassure him. "Come on get ready. Everyone's waiting to meet you." Katara stood in the opening holding the flap to the side.

Lana stole a glance inside; her lips parted slightly when she noticed the blue arrows painted on his skin. He pulled on his long sleeved yellow shirt and threw his orange shawl over top. Lana covertly turned away.

_The Avatar. That's impossible._ She thought as she slushed through the snow and joined the tribesmen.

Katara emerged from the tent happily, pulling Aang by the wrist.

"Aang this is the entire village." She pointed her hand towards the small group of women and children. "Entire village, this is Aang."

The twelve- year- old boy bowed respectively, staff in hand. The tiny children huddled closer to the woman who in turn grasped them in gentle protective hands.

"Uh…why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?" He checked himself.

"Well, no one has seen an Airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct, until my granddaughter and grandson found you."

"Extinct?" The innocent child said in pure disbelief clearly not understanding.

_Extinct._ The word echoed in her head. _Extinct…they're supposed to be extinct…_

Katara introduced him directly to Kanna, her reply the same thing she had told Lana those years ago, _"Call me Gran- Gran.",_ in that same monotone.

Awhile later Aang playfully argued with Sokka; the childish grin on his rounded head suggested to Lana that he could not have been more than twelve years old.

_What would a twelve- year- old be doing in an iceberg…?_

"Check again!" His words lulled in her ears. Aang laughed and burst into the air, the snow on the ground misted in her face bringing her back in focus.

She shook her hair free of the powder. _The Last Airbender…_ Her eyes trailed him in the sky watching as he swooped low to the ground, sucking the snow behind. Katara smiled up at Aang causing his goofy grin to reappear on his face. He turned sideways in midair and closed his eyes, abruptly crashing into a column of snow. He struggled to pull himself free finally falling to the ground.

"My watchtower!" Sokka whimpered in his usual whine.

Katara rushed over and offered a hand to her new friend. "That was amazing!" She praised as she pulled Aang from the loosely packed snow.

He clicked the glider's wings back into place and twirled it in a windmill motion.

The warrior inspected the tower only for the white mess to fall and bury him. He popped his head free saying, "Great. You're an Airbender, Katara's a waterbender; together you can just waste time _all_ day long."

"You're a waterbender!" Aang beamed at Katara.

"Well, sort of. Not yet." She admitted honestly.

"Alright, no more playing. Come on, Katara. You have chores." Kanna intervened and led her away from the teens and boy.

A small group of kids gathered around the Airbender; the air filled with the sound of giggles unfamiliar to the region.

"See? Now my tongue is stuck to my staff!" Aang mumbled.

Sokka growled. "He's interfering with the warrior training time." The snow fell from his shoulders as he ran over to the kids and shooed them to the training grounds just outside the village wall.

Aang skipped off energetically leaving Lana alone, lost in her thoughts.

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><p>"Hey there you are." Katara shuffled over to Lana and chose to stand behind her a little ways. "You okay?"<p>

"Hmm…? Oh yeah, I'm fine." She amazed herself at times when she could convince even herself that nothing was on her mind.

"I was wondering if you'd seen Aang. Gran- Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago." Katara said worryingly.

Lana's chest rose in anger at the sound of the old woman's name; she slowly breathed out and rose to her feet. "We better go look for him." _We don't need the Avatar disappearing. Not again._ Lana quickly began her decent down the snow dune.

"Where should we start?" Katara called and ran down the slope after her catching up at the bottom.

"He wouldn't have gone too far. Wind's picking up so we better hurry."

They trekked across the taiga eventually reaching the outer wall. Sokka was still "training" the children; he wore a serious expression.

"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a Firebender." He slowly paced down the row of children sitting in the snow looking each of them in the eyes. "In the Water Tribe, we fight till the last man standing." He pounded his fist in his other hand. "For without courage, how can we call ourselves _men_?"

Six pairs of innocent vacant eyes peered back at the warrior. A little hand shot high into the air. "I gotta pee!"

Lana slowed down and stopped just inside the icy wall that surrounded the village. "Hey Sokka have you…?"

"Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on _you_ to be the men of this tribe," He pointed to no one in particular "…and that means _no_ _potty breaks_!"

"But I really gotta go." He said with urgency.

Sokka sighed impatiently. "Okay, who else has to go?"

Six hands poked up. He groaned and slapped his forehead.

"Sokka!" Katara yelled.

"What? I'm in the middle of something."

"Have you seen Aang? He's been gone for a while; I'm worried."

"Wow! _Everything_ freezes in there!" Aang chuckled, situating his pants as he emerged from the small opening of the domed rest room.

"Ugh! Katara, get him out of here! This lesson is for _warriors _only!"

By then Aang had led the warrior trainees over to a strange creature and was using its tail as a makeshift slide.

"Wee!" The small villager swooped into the air and landed with a thud in a pile of snow and giggling children.

"Whoa! What is that?" Lana caught site of the children sliding down the backside of an off white beast with brown markings running from head to tail.

Katara giggled at the children playing, and turned to answer her. "That's Appa."

Lana walked around the beast noting its docile nature. "May I?" The boy acceded and she pressed lightly, admiring the feel of his soft fur between her fingers.

"He's my flying bison." Aang added proudly.

"No way." She whispered incredulously. _They do exist._ "I've only seen these in books before." Lana's eyes widened; she checked to see if anyone had heard her and was relieved that for once she was being ignored.

"Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka fumed.

Lana turned her head to the infuriated Sokka and watched as he yanked his spear away from the posts holding it up behind Appa's tail..

"What's wrong with you?" He addressed Aang. "We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on!"

Aang jumped down from the bison's head, landing softly beside the warrior and his sister. "What war?"

Sokka looked at him like he was crazy. "You're kidding right?"

"PENGUIN!"

The eight armed creature squeaked and waddled down the hill. Aang sped past using his Airbending, digging up the snow in his way and shrank into the distance.

"He's kidding…right?"

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><p>Lana kicked her boots together and watched the snow fall into the abyss. <em>Well no one has seen an Airbender in a hundred years…<em>Kanna's words echoed in her head once more.

The sounds of laughter echoed nearby, putting her senses on alert. Two figures slid into view, which then became four, for the other two bumped up and waddled off. She put her hand above her eyes to block the sun and could faintly make out a miniscule orange shawl flapping in the breeze. _What are they doing?_ The boy stepped into the shadows of the Fire Navy ship.

"If you wanna be a bender, you have to let go of fear." The words reverberated off the chasm walls. Slowly the other hooded figure clad in blue walked over to Aang's side and soon enough entered the hole in the ships' hull.

Lana cupped her gloved hands around her mouth. "Hey! Get outa there!" She waited, hoping they heard her and were making their way back outside. They never came.

Lana ran down the side of the slope and up another. By the time she reached the top a signal flare shot out of the ship and burst into the sky. "No…" Lana looked back at the ship and there they were, one carrying the other. Aang hopped all the way to the bottom and released the other person. Their hood flung off revealing a long braid swinging like a pendulum.

"Katara? Ugh! She _knows_ better than to snoop around there!" Lana fumed completely unaware of the scarred prince peering at her and the wreck through his telescope.

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><p><strong>A N Ah the suggestive word "could"; Elena Lana _could _be a waterbender and yet she might not be. You'll see ;)**

**I was thinking about squeezing in _The Avatar Returns_ with this one. I might go back and change it. As a note for later, I will use some of the original manes for the chapters, though I'm going to try to be creative and use my own. From now on, I'm going to try to put the chapter equivalent in the A/ N at the beginning.**

**_Sometimes_**** if I don't update for a while I'll post a part of the upcoming chapter on my profile to whet your appetite. Again PLEASE REVIEW even if it's just an 'it's good' OR 'this sucks' though I'd appreciate more in depth ones explaining your opinions. **

**THANK YOU for reading.**

**9/5/11 UPDATE: Hopefully this sounds a lot better than what I had before.**

**11/5/11 UPDATE: Huh, how ironic. It's been 2 months to the day since my other update…**


	4. The Avatar Returns

**A/N After much procrastination I've finished the next one. Our heroes are leaving the Water Tribe (finally!) Sorry for the wait; the fact is I still haven't gotten the hang of this and all I'm doing is putting the series in story form. Who knows, someone might like it. The story's kinda slow and nothing interesting is really happening yet, though I have things planned (Again check out my profile. I've added The Southern Raiders to the list)**

**This chapter is the equivalent to _The Avatar Returns_.**

**DISCLAIMER: Man. After all this hard work, I still don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender -_-**

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><p>The children of the tribe ran to greet the two as they finally arrived in sight of the village.<p>

"I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare!" The eldest warrior emerged from the group scowling at the Airbender.

"Aang didn't do anything. It was an accident." Katara defended him firmly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, there was this booby trap on the ship, and uh, we boobied right into it." Aang explained.

"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger!"

"Kanna's right. You had no business being there." Lana added.

"Don't blame Katara. I brought her there. It's my fault." Aang bowed his head in shame.

For some reason Lana admired him taking the heat for their mistake. To her he seemed wise beyond his years, wisdom instilled by the very monks who raised him though he still retained his childish ways.

"Ah ha! So the traitor confesses! Warriors! Away from the enemy. The foreigner is banished from our village."

The children dispersed.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake!"

"No Katara, I'm keeping my promise to dad. I'm protecting you from threats like _him_."

"Aang is _not_ our enemy! Don't you see? He's brought fun back into the village; something we haven't seen in a _long_ time."

"_Fun_? We can't fight Firebenders with fun!" He turned to Aang off to her side. "Get out of our village _now_!" Sokka said threateningly.

"Grandmother _please._ Don't let Sokka do this." She begged.

"Katara you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think its best that the Airbender leaves."

"Fine! If Aang's banished than so am I! Come on Aang." She took his arm and led the way towards Appa.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sokka yelled after her.

_What does she think she's doing?_

"To find a waterbender! Aang's taking me to the North Pole!"

"I am? Great!"

Katara turned back to face Lana.

"Are you comin'?"

All Lana could do was stand on the side lines and watch everything unfold. It was all happening so fast. _This could be my only chance to leave. But, if I go, will I make it out there?_ Lana looked around her; the little faces, the long cold winters, all of this to be left behind; the only things she knew for so long. _If I do go Katara will be more convinced of leaving. I can't rip her from her family. _

Lana barely shook her head which was an answer enough; Katara looked away as if Lana was being mutinous toward her actions.

"Would you really choose him over your tribe, Katara? Your own family?" Sokka's point seeped into her skin.

Katara talked with Aang out of earshot. The boy jumped onto his furry companion's head and when she didn't join him Lana knew she was staying.

"It was nice meeting everyone!" The Airbender said happily.

"Yeah let's see your bison fly now Air boy." Sokka mocked and crossed his arms.

"Come on Appa. You can do it. Yip- Yip!" Aang flicked the reins; the creature moaned and rose to his 6 feet.

"Yeah, I thought so!"

"Ah!"

Lana watched the little girl run half way between Aang and the tribe then stopping beside Katara.

"Aang don't go. I'll miss you." The child's eyes glistened.

Lana's heart sank slightly knowing the girls were upset with Aang's departure.

"I'll miss you too." Aang replied with a small smile.

Everyone stared as the wind lightly breezed over the situation.

"Come on buddy." The Airbender whispered to Appa and they left, just like that.

The little girl sulked back to the tribe; Kanna approached her granddaughter who was still trying to soak in what had happened.

"Katara, you'll feel better after-"

"You happy now? There goes my one chance of becoming a waterbender!"

Gran- Gran sighed and watched Katara storm off.

Standing at the entrance to the snowy village, Sokka yelled for the 'warriors' to prepare for battle. Lana could faintly make out him say, "And no potty breaks!" to one of the children. She looked out to sea. Thick fog loomed ominously, no doubt masking the real threat to come.

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><p>"You know, all she wanted was to become a waterbender. She wasn't turning her back on anyone." Lana stood in the flap way, arms crossed over her chest.<p>

"I don't have time for your lectures Lana." Sokka tugged his fingerless gloves on and wrapped a cloth around his wrists tightly. Soon his feet were protected by dark leather and his face painted in a warrior wolf style. He slid his trusty boomerang into its case strapped to his back and grabbed his club. He passed by her without another word. She sighed and followed him out.

"How much time do you think we'll have?" Lana called.

"We'll find out soon enough." He left her behind and walked up the ramp to the top of the snow wall that surrounded the village. The ground began to shake violently and gasps could be heard all around.

"They're coming." Lana said calmly. To Sokka's right, another one of his watchtowers crumbled under the shock waves.

"Oh man!" he whined. The villagers panicked and scattered, gathering loved ones along the way. A black silhouette pierced through the immense fog.

"Oh man." Sokka's voice trembled.

"It's an icebreaker…Sokka! Get out of there!" The warrior stood his ground, Lana's voice unable to reach him. Horrible cracks of ice trailed toward the village.

Katara quickly sent her grandmother inside and noticed that a child had fallen behind. She scooped them up just before the ground gave way. The waterbender gasped as the ship grew closer, her brother still on the wall.

"Sokka! Get out of the way!" Katara shrilled.

He feebly held his club up as if challenging the thousand ton hunk of metal would end well. Luckily the ice wall collapsed and sent him sliding backwards unharmed.

The ship hissed and steam poured out of the front. The tribesmen stood in shock and disbelief of its size. Without warning, the front lowered, Sokka stumbling backwards, and crashed against the snow. Several men made their presence known by coming out of the shadows. Tension grew in the crowd as they walked slowly down the ramp.

The men made it halfway when Sokka let out a battle cry and charged at the young man in the middle only to be kicked in the head and sent over the side. The crowd gasped and watched him dive head first into the mound of snow and tried to wriggle himself free.

"No one make any sudden movements." Lana whispered in warning as the group of men clad in red and black armor approached.

Three men stood on either side of the unknown man at a healthy distance, waiting to spring into action. Compared to Lana, the man in charge looked about the same age as her and was only a few inches or taller than her. She squinted in melancholy, taking in the red tissue around his left eye. Lana imagined that it covered the entire left side. She looked into his golden eyes, filled with rage, filled with ambition and hurt. _Hmm he doesn't look all that bad. In fact the scar's…kinda hot._ She blushed. _Wait! Don't think that! This guy's the enemy and will not show us mercy. No one from the Fire Nation shows mercy._

Lana studied her surroundings. The tribe stood in a line, the eldest protecting the children. Katara was to her right and Kanna to hers. _Outnumbered, no. Outmatched, yes._ There was no means of escape. Where would they run?

At first he didn't speak. The prince surveyed the crowd as if looking for someone; he stopped in front of Katara.

"Where are you hiding him?"

Lana inhaled deeply at the sound of his voice. All she could do was stare at the scar plastered on his smooth features that was partially concealed by his pointy helmet. He waited for an answer. Nothing. He jerked Kanna by the hood, pulling her away from Katara.

"He'd be about this age, master of all four elements." He shook her. When there wasn't a response, he shoved her back to her granddaughter and sent an arch of flames over their heads; a crowd of gasps. "I know you're hiding him!"

_A bit feeble, he's not trying to hurt us. I think…_

Sokka ran up to his club screaming and attempted a sneak attack to be once again outclassed by the Firebender. The warrior soared over his head and landed on his rear with a grunt. He tucked and rolled, narrowly avoiding singing from a fire blast. He threw his boomerang and missed the prince's head.

"Show no fear!" A little boy threw him his whalebone spear. Sokka ran at the teen and had his weapon's head broken off, taken, poked at his head, snapped in two, and thrown to the ground.

Lana snickered quietly at his defeat, receiving a scowl from Katara. "Sorry." She said sheepishly.

A shiny object sliced through the sky, arched, and collided with the Firebender's head, twisting his helmet sideways. Lana went into a small fit of laughter as the others looked at her with confusion. She had no idea why she as laughing in such a situation. She figured he deserved it.

He glared down at Sokka forming fire daggers beneath his fists. Lana's giggles died quickly and her eyes widened in fear.

Out of nowhere the young boy rocketed in on a penguin knocking the prince off his feet. He landed awkwardly on his shoulders, face down in the snow helmet landing on his rear. Aang sped around receiving praise form the children. The giggles subsided as they were covered in snow. They looked at each other and began to cheer again. The animal halted, bumped the Airbender off, and waddled away.

"Hey Sokka! Hey Katara!" Aang said cheerfully.

"Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming." Sokka replied unenthusiastically.

The fire prince signaled for the soldiers to encircle the boy. Sheets of snow and ice burst outward by Airbending on either side, pushing the guards back. Aang jumped and threw his glider downward sending snow breezing by the teen. He stood his ground and melted the powder on him.

"Looking for me?" Aang got into his stance, aiming his glider at the teen.

"You're the Airbender? You're the Avatar?"

"Aang?" Katara whispered.

"No way." Sokka remarked in disbelief.

_I knew it…the last Airbender._

The Fire and Air bender circled each other in a dueling dance.

"I've spent years preparing for this encounter; training, meditating; you're just a child!"

Aang relaxed his pose and cocked his head sideways. "Well you're just a teenager."

Flames erupted; Aang blocked spurts of fire with a windmill motion of his staff. The flames licked dangerously near the tribe; screams of children made it dawn on him that innocent people were threatened because of him.

"If I go, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

_He can't be serious; like they would leave so willingly if he asked politely._ Unexpectedly, he nodded in agreement and the guards lead him away.

"No Aang, don't do this!" Katara stepped forward and Lana held her back. The two watched the Firebenders take away their only hope.

"Don't worry Katara. Everything will be okay." Aang looked back when they reached the top of the bridge. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back."

"He should know better." Lana whispered; the waterbender shot her a teary glance and jerked out of her hold.

"Head a course for the Fire Nation! I'm going home." The Fire Prince vanished; the bridged hissed once more and rose. Katara gave Aang one last fleeting look as he was closed inside.

* * *

><p>The water tribesmen sulked around as if their life had left with Aang. They made repairs: pulling up smashed tents and assessing the damaged defenses, one woman adding wood to the fireplace in the central vicinity.<p>

"Well at least we have a trading port now." Lana rubbed her arms; her attempt at optimism was dismissed as harsh sarcasm; Katara scoffed and turned away to look out to sea.

"Come on you know I didn't mean it like that."

"We have to go after that ship Sokka." Katara demanded, trying to ignore Lana for the moment.

Lana looked behind her and saw the warrior making trips to the water, holding their belongings.

"Aang saved our tribe, now we have to save him." Katara had a sense of duty, a sense of purpose in her words.

"Katara I-" Sokka began.

"Why can't you realize that he's on our side? If we don't help him, no one will. I know you don't like Aang but we owe him-"

"Katara!"

The girl turned around.

"Are you going to talk all day or are you coming with us."

Lana was standing by the boat Sokka was pointing to in the water, a grin on her lips.

"Sokka!" His sister ran over and hugged him.

"Get in. We're going to save your boyfriend."

"He's not my-"

"Whatever." He put his hands up indifferently.

"What do you think you're doing?" The siblings froze and waited for their Gran- Gran to scold them. Instead she smiled.

"You'll need these. You have a long journey ahead of you." She offered the sleeping bag to the black- haired girl and winked. Lana left the family, taking her time to sit the bag into the canoe, situating any of the other necessities, double tying everything.

"It's been so long since I've had hope. But you brought it back to life my little waterbender." She hugged her granddaughter. Lana smiled and looked away sadly, avoiding the family scene a little longer by 'adjusting' her boots.

"And you my brave warrior…be nice to your sister." Kanna gave him a warm hug as well.

"Yeah, okay gran." He patted her back and she pulled away.

"Aang is the Avatar, the world's only chance. You both found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his."

They looked at each other and Lana stood up. Kanna looked at Lana to say that included her too.

"There's no way we're going to catch a warship with a canoe." Katara accented the miniscule water craft.

Lana grinned. "Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that." A low rumble came over the hill she pointed to.

"Appa." Katara gratefully ran to great the bison.

Sokka faced Lana. "You just love taking me out of my comfort zone, don't ya?"

She smiled widely and he removed the supplies from the previous mode of transportation making his way over to the six legged creature he had little faith in.

"Take care of them Lana-" Gran- Gran held out a thin water skin with a string attached to a stopper plugging the mouth. She took it from her and slid the strap over her head and shoulder. "They're the only grandchildren I have."

"I will." She answered dutifully and was surprised to find her being hugged as well. _I guess she's not to mad about earlier…_

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><p>"Uh, Katara, I thought you said Appa could fly." Lana laid back in annoyance of the slow progress they had made.<p>

"Go. Fly. Soar." Sokka commanded doubtfully.

"Please Appa, we need your help, Aang needs your help." Katara pleaded.

"Up. Ascend. Elevate."

"Ah! We're getting nowhere!" Lana kicked the air when she fell back onto the saddle again. Her legs plopped down with a defeated thud.

"Sokka doesn't believe you can fly." Katara leaned down against the bison's head and rubbed it encouragingly. "But I do. Come on. Don't you want to save Aang?"

"What was it that kid said? Yee- haw? Hup- hup? Wah- hoo? Uh, Yip- yip?" At the later phrase Appa flapped his tail hard against the water; Lana watched the wave surge away; Appa skipped across the surface and within minutes they were in the air.

"Whoa!" Lana yelled and grasped the saddle, almost flying out.

The wind whipped all around them as they glided forward.

"This is amazing!" Lana whooped.

"You did it Sokka!" Katara beamed.

"He's flying! He's flying! Katara he's-"

Both his sister and Lana looked back at him; Katara's expression said 'I told you so.'

"I mean, big deal, he's flying." He smiled.

Moments later they zeroed in on the enemy ship. Black smoke billowed behind it, but couldn't obscure their strategic view.

Zuko looked up at the sky in the middle of his heated battle with Aang.

"What is that?" The Firebender squint his good eye.

"Appa!" The boy called happily.

The prince took advantage of the boy's moment of distraction and fired. Aang twirled his staff defensively, landing precariously close to the ship's edge. After a few more powerful blasts, Aang found himself staff less, teetering on the edge, and finally falling overboard.

"Aang! No!" Katara cried.

They watched helplessly as he sank further and further into the darkness. Lana clenched the side of the saddle hoping to see signs of his resurface. Katara continued to shout after him.

"If we go down farther I could jump in and get him!" Lana moved to Appa's head. Sokka grabbed her shoulder.

"Are you crazy? That water's freezing!"

And then the water sprang to life in tornado effect rising into the air, Aang in command. His eyes and tattoos glowed ominously. He landed on deck and sent the mass of water spiraling in a circular action around him, expanding and finally coming into contact with Zuko, successfully knocking him over board and the soldiers out of range.

"Did you see that?" Katara gaped.

"Now _that's_ some Waterbending!" commented Sokka.

Aang dropped to his knees and crumbled to the ship's metal deck. Lana snapped the reins and Appa made his decent to the ship.

"Aang!" called Katara again.

Lana waited in the saddle while the other two rushed to his side. Her black braid swayed as she bounced anxiously for them to return to make a quick getaway.

"Hey Sokka. Hey Katara. Thanks for coming." He said weekly.

"Well I couldn't let you have all the glory." Sokka joked.

"I dropped my staff."

"Got it!" Sokka rushed over, but he wasn't the only one holding on. Zuko was determined to finish what he started. The warrior tugged and tugged, finally resolving to poke him in the head with the end of the staff. He released and fell, but grabbed the anchor's chains.

"Ha! That's from the Water Tribe!" Sokka yelled in triumph.

Lana helped Aang climb onto Appa's head right when the Fire Nation soldiers got up to attack.

"Katara!" Lana pointed to the men advancing.

She swung her arms forward and threw them back, accidentally freezing Sokka with a creeping ice trail.

"Katara!" he whined.

Lana slapped her forehead. _Wait…_ "Turn around the other way!"

She did as Lana instructed and preformed the same move. She heard the ice crack and sure enough froze the soldier on the spot just in time.

Katara ran over to Appa and climbed up his furry side. "Come on Sokka!" she shrieked.

"I'm just a guy with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying, and magic." He chipped away the ice at his feet and ran up Appa's tail.

"Yip- yip! Yip- yip!" He said frantically.

Appa kicked off. Lana looked back to see a confused old man coming from the doorway. She blinked her eyes and turned around.

"Dang salty air." She rubbed her sapphire orbs and settled down in the saddle.

Just when they thought they were out of harms-way, a colossal fire ball chased after them, the water tribe trio stared in horror. Aang leapt to the back, the tail end of his glider opened, swung over Sokka's ducked head and deflected the threat with a whip of air. The object slammed into the icy chasm wall. The Gaang laughed as the ship was buried halfway in snow.

"Good news for the Fire Lord. The Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." Iroh addressed his nephew as he stood.

"That kid, Uncle, just did this. I won't underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them!" He ordered the men and noticed three Firebenders thawing Katara's victims. "…as soon as you're done with that." He scowled after the kids who slowly disappeared into the sky.

* * *

><p>Lana sat off to the side a distance away from Sokka and Katara. Her head was rested on the saddle, eyes gazing off into the distance. The sky was a yellowy pink with a gloomy cloud looming over head.<p>

"How did you do that? With the water! It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Katara beamed like she was talking to a master waterbender.

Lana scoffed quietly to herself.

"I don't know. I just sorta…did it."

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara asked with a slight confusion.

"Because…I never wanted to be." He looked away in shame. Lana's heart panged as she too felt a guilt eating away at her slowly.

A dark shadow flowed over them, much like disparity. Then a light shinned through the upper layer of the atmosphere; a sign of hope.

"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war." Katara encouraged.

"And how am I going to do that?"

"According to legend, you need to first master Water, then Earth, then Fire right?"

"That's what the monks told me."

"Well if we go to the North Pole, you can master Waterbending."

Lana glanced worriedly sideways, her chin remained rested; her mind however was the complete opposite.

"We can learn it together!" Aang chimed causing Katara to smile at the idea of learning the ways of Waterbending with him.

"And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some Firebender heads along the way." She looked back at her brother.

"I'd like that. I'd really like that."

"Oh please."

Everyone turned their attention to Lana for the first time during the flight. She shifted to her side and sat up, gripping the saddle for support.

"Like it's going to be _that_ easy." Her voice was calm and threatening.

"No one said this was going to be easy." Sokka countered.

"All I'm saying is that this isn't some vacation. We're going to the other side of the world, not around the next glacier. Now that we have the Fire Nation on our tails, we need to be careful." She knew well she was killing the moral, but they needed to realize the dangers.

"Don't worry. Well watch each other's backs." Aang reassured in his innocence.

Lana sighed and turned back around as Aang dropped down from his perch and began to point out various places on the map they would be visiting before their arrival in the North. She growled softly and sat her head in her hand, elbow on the rim.

_This is nonsense. Ridding hopping llamas? We're going to die the first day into this…_

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><p><strong>AN so what do you think about Lana? Somewhat of a bee-ah…you get the idea. You know she's just being protective. xD And what do you think she's feeling guilty about?**

**R & R and I don't mean rest and relax. Review people! Though you don't have to, just keep reading. Don't complain when things get cruddy or if the story disappears for a while. xD**


	5. The Reality of War

**THANK YOU to those who read, favorite, and alert my stories. Even bigger thanks to those who ACTUALLY REVIEW. I was super excited when "Destiny" finally had more hits than "Things Katara Will Never Say" This chap goes to yawls.**

**This chapter is the equivalent to **_**The Southern Air Temple**_**. **

**I was thinking of putting a "what song this chap makes me think about" alongside the "equivalent". Food for thought…**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. OKAY? ENJOY :)**

The next morning Katara found Lana sitting in Appa's saddle, her legs folded inwardly. She had a vacant stare; one Katara saw quite often when her friend was contemplating. Lana's fingers moved over the smooth tan water pouch that was given to her- just before their departure from the South Pole- and wondered why Kanna had kept it from her for so long. Regardless of her expression, devoid of any traces of emotion, she was well aware that the waterbender was approaching, yet her eyes were glued to the water skin that lied in her lap, her thumb continuously stroking it as if it was the last thing she had.

"You're up early." Katara's brown braid swung as she climbed the side of the calm bison, threw her legs over the saddle's rim, and plopped down beside her quiet friend. She pinched the top of the loose strands of hair that dangled down, looping it under and behind her ear, securing it the way she did every morning.

Lana closed her eyes and yawned, "Couldn't sleep." Her eyes wandered, every once and a while blinking rapidly and widening in hopes they would stay open.

"Still having nightmares?" Katara whispered.

"Yeah." Lana said reluctantly and fumbled with the strap in her hand.

Katara tilted her head sideways slightly and was mouthing what looked to be a small inscription carved into the skin.

"You're not much on subtly, are you?" Lana's words came out tiredly followed by another yawn.

Katara jerked her head. "Uh, well…"

Lana smiled faintly at her successful apprehension of her friend's lingered eyes.

"Tala." She resolved after Katara shifted her weight in a manner of unnecessary embarrassment.

"Huh? Oh, your mother. This was hers?"

"Ah! Get it off! Get it off!"

The girls leapt to the other side and saw Sokka, still in his sleeping bag, jumping around like a deranged hopping llama. Katara giggled; Lana just smirked and rolled her eyes when she saw the stick in Aang's hand.

Off in the distance they heard Aang saying, "Great! Now that you're up, let's get moving!" his usual goofy grin shinning brighter than the early morning sun that seemed to annoy Sokka more than Lana at the moment.

During most of the packing Sokka grumbled- rather his stomach did- and not so much because of his moody attitude of being awoken by the Airbender's sneaky prickle snake trick.

"I can't wait for you to see it Katara. It's the most beautiful place in the world." Aang tightened the reins on Appa's horns.

"Aang I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home." She responded to his elated words cautiously.

"I know. That's why I'm so excited." The Airbender smiled.

"A lot can change in all that time." She tried quietly.

"Everything ready? We want to get a move on if you want to see the temple by sundown." The group watched Lana's eyes arch in the sky as if calculating the angle of the sun and correlating its position to theirs. "Don't forget to put the fire out Sokka." She walked up Appa's tail as it elevated and stepped into the saddle.

"Yeah, I got it." He grumbled and snuffed the tiny flame with the leftover ashes.

The pair walked the remaining feet down the ship's ramp leading to the dock.

"Uncle-" Zuko began cautiously. "I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail."

"You mean the Avatar."

"Don't say his name on these docks." He snapped quickly. "Once word gets out that he's alive, every Firebender will be out looking for him and I don't want anyone getting in the way."

"Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" A middle aged man with protruding sideburns approached them. His posture suggested regality, his hands held behind him.

"Captain Zhao." Zuko said scathingly. It was just his luck to run into him.

"It's _Commander_ now. And General Iroh-" He bowed. "-great hero of our nation."

"Retired General." He replied respectively and bowed back.

"The Fire Lord's son and brother are welcomed guests anytime. What brings you to my harbor?"

"Our ship is being repaired."

Situated between two large vessels lied the significantly smaller and badly battered ship.

"That's quite a bit of damage."

Zuko tensed. "Yes…you wouldn't believe what happened…" He paused momentarily. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened!"

"Yes, I will do that…It was incredible!" Then he leaned in to Zuko and whispered, "What, did we crash or something?"

"Yes! Right into- an Earth Kingdom ship."

"_Really_? You must regale me with all the _thrilling_ details. Join me for a drink?" Zhao was practically in Zuko's face, locked into a game of wits.

"Sorry but we have to go."

"Prince Zuko, show Zhao your respect." Iroh laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "We would be honored to join you." Iroh faced the Commander and walked past him, asking if he had any ginseng saying it was his favorite.

The Fire Prince crinkled his fingers, squinted his eyes closed, and clenched his jaw. He growled and threw his fists down to his sides, fire spurting out.

The clouds were a thick fluff that bounced and rolled for miles. The air was its usual chilly and the sky was a light blue, little peaks of brown poking through here and there. Lana's hood was drawn over her head and pulled tightly; she sloped her body behind the front of the saddle's rim allowing the wind to cut and breeze over.

Katara stirred in the front beside Aang, putting her gloved hands to both sides of her head. "My ears hurt."

Lana barely lifted her head. "It's because the wind's blowing in them. Put your hood up." _You think she'd know by now._

"Oh."

Katara threw her hood up and Lana curled into a tighter ball, yet Aang was unfazed by the mountainous weather. She could hear the flapping of his shawl and could only wonder if his bald head ever got cold. A low grumble disturbed her thoughts; she dismissed it as one of Appa's moans.

"Hey, quiet stomach, alright. I'm trying to find us some food."

Lana flipped up an inch of her hood's fur to peek at Sokka talking to himself. She watched him dig around only producing a small bag and dumping its contents into his hand: a few crumbs.

"Hey who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?" He whined.

"That was food?" Aang looked back at his hungry meat loving friend. "I used it to start the camp fire last night. Sorry." He added.

"You what? Aw…no wonder the flames smelled so good." Sokka caught Lana's guilty grin as if she knew something about the disappearance of his meat.

Ahead a ridge of land sliced through the white.

"The Patola Mountain Range! We're almost there!"

"Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the Air Nomads." Katara began.

"What about 'em?"

"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see." She bowed her head and breathed back a choke in her throat. "The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother and they could have done the same to your people."

By that time, Lana was listening inventively.

"Just because no one has seen an Airbender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped." He said cheerfully and seemingly in denial.

"I know it's hard to except-" Katara laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't understand Katara, the only way to get to an Airbender temple is on a flying bison and I doubt the Fire Nation have flying bison. Right Appa?" He rubbed Appa's head. "Yip- Yip!"

Lana sighed and put her head back down. _He'll find out soon enough._ A sickness suddenly rushed into her stomach and her heart raced, making her mouth turn dry and bitter. She shuddered and rubbed her hands over her face then clutched her stomach.

"You okay?"

Lana didn't realize how obvious her nausea was and saw Sokka looking at her.

"I'm okay; motion sickness I guess."

The group tore through the clouds and between two mountains.

"You better hold on." Sokka advised and with perfect timing. Right as Lana gripped the saddle, Appa pulled sharply up the side of the mountain and clear over a grassy barrier, revealing the magnificent sight of a towering temple.

"There it is: The Southern Air Temple."

Lana was struck speechless by the volume and beauty. The stinging wind in her eyes no longer mattered. The realization of their journey had finally hit her. Coming there marked the official beginning of their expedition into a world that she, or any of them, knew barely of.

"Aang, it's amazing!" Katara leaned forward and squinted.

"We're home buddy. We're home."

Zhao stood in front of an enlarged map of the world hanging on the tent's wall, each region represented by its corresponding color. Among him inside the tent were Uncle, admiring his collection of weaponry, and Zuko, sitting impatiently and dying to leave. The Fire Prince sat uncomfortably behind a table with a steaming pot of tea, an empty chair beside him, Zhao behind him and out of his line of sight.

"And by years end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule. The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this war." Zhao pledged.

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow so willingly, then he is a fool."

Zhao walked over and sat down. "Your two years at sea did little to temper your tongue." He smirked victoriously and leaned in. "So, how's your search for the Avatar going?"

Off to the side, staffs clanged over courtesy of Iroh's nervousness. "Eh, my fault entirely." He slowly backed away.

"We haven't found him yet." Zuko's voice was unwavering.

"Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the Airbenders."

Zuko looked away, the worst possible mistake.

"Unless you found some _evidence_ that the Avatar is alive."

"No. Nothing." Zuko forced himself to remain calm. He knew it only took one slip up and everything was out.

"Prince Zuko." He stood knowing his height over him will add the necessary pressure for him to crack. "The Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an _ounce_ of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found." By then Zhao was towering closely over him.

"I haven't found _anything_. It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago." He rose and walked toward the exit. "Come on Uncle. We're going."

But the guardsmen thought otherwise. They crossed their weapons blocking his way as another soldier walked over to Zhao.

"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape."

Zuko's stomach dropped as the need to strangle the messenger, and his crew, rose.

"Now remind me…how exactly was your ship damaged?" Zhao said smugly slow as he leaned over the wayward prince's shoulder.

With every step the air grew thinner and thinner causing Lana, already feeling queasy, to draw in deep dry breaths of air. A light mist loomed around them, Lana looked off to her side and her eyes trailed down the steep hill. The group winded around then up, trying their best to keep up with Aang's quick and eager footsteps.

"So where do I get something to eat?" With an upset look on his face, Sokka put a hand to his stomach.

"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to _ever_ visit an Airbender temple and all you can think about is food?" Katara flailed her hands around.

"Hey, I'm just a _simple_ guy with _simple_ needs."

"I don't see how you guys can breathe." Lana gasped.

The three finally caught up with Aang at a cliff's edge that continued to follow alongside the mountain.

"That's where me and my friends would play Air Ball." He pointed to the base where there were two goal posts, each with a square top and a center piece that rotated. Separating the two were multiple posts. "And over there is where the bison would sleep." Aang again pointed out a series of caves carved out of the side of a massive hill just to the right.

The young Airbender sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Katara.

"This place used to be filled with monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds."

It was quite the understatement. Everywhere there was snow, the dead trees made it a step up from the barren South Pole.

"I can't believe how much things have changed."

"So, uh, this Air Ball game, how do ya play?" Sokka offered. And before Lana knew it Aang and Sokka took up their positions in front of the goals high atop the posts.

Aang whirled the wooden ball around, the slots allowed the air to pass in and out enabling him to move it with ease. He smiled, threw it up and whipped an air blast across it, sending it bouncing in between the higher poles. On its last bounce, the ball knocked Sokka clear through the center and out the other side. He landed feet below in the snow with a hard thud.

Aang laughed saying, "Aang: 7, Sokka: 0" and drew a full body zero in the air.

"Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt." Sokka moaned; the warrior lifted up and caught eye of a rustic helmet. He clambered over. "Katara, check this out."

"Fire Nation."

"We should tell him."

"Aang, there's something you need to see." She called.

"Okay." Aang walked toward them with a slight jump in his step and swirled the air ball up and around, a smile on his face.

Lana looked over and saw the pronged helmet causing her to twinge and look away.

Katara couldn't bear to tell him so she did what any good friend would do: drown the helmet and their brother in a huge pile of snow using Waterbending.

"What is it?"

"Uh, just wanted to show you a new Waterbending move I learned." Katara held her hands behind her back and rocked on her feet.

"Nice one, but enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see." The Airbender walked off happily.

"You know you can't protect him forever." Sokka whispered, brushing the snow off of his sleeve and out of his hair.

Katara lowered her head in acknowledgement. Lana however said nothing.

"What you not pitching in the "life's hard, he'll get over it"?

"Not now." She said somberly and trailed behind Aang. The siblings exchanged a glance and they too followed suit.

Lana took two more steps and joined Sokka and Katara by the fountain.

"Katara, Firebenders were here. You can't pretend they weren't." Sokka egged.

"I can for Aang's sake. If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home he'll be devastated."

The two didn't wait for Lana to catch her breath, working past the fountain and heading after Aang. The cold wind of the open passage way bit into her skin.

"Hey guys, I want you to meet somebody." Instead of rushing inside, Aang stood by a statue carved out of wood; a man sitting with his legs crossed. He was bald and bore the same blue arrows that ran down his forehead like Aang's. He wore a beaded necklace with a circular pendant adorned with three spirals, a tassel on each side. The wooden man rested upon a circular base elevated a few feet from the ground.

"Who's that?" Sokka questioned him curiously.

"Monk Gyatso: the greatest Airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang bowed to his master.

_"But the true secret is in the gooey center." The man held the pie on the oven rack in one hand while he swirled the red goo upward with Airbending. _

_"Hmm." Aang acknowledged sadly. He swung his leg hanging over the edge of the wall. His back was to Monk Gyatso, elbow resting on his elevated knee, head in hand._

_"Hmm, my ancient cake making technique isn't the only thing on your mind is it Aang?" The monk walked over and slid the pastry onto the wall beside another. _

_Aang turned sideways and sat up._

_"This whole Avatar thing, maybe the monks made a mistake."_

_"The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned sixteen. But we can't concern ourselves with what _was_. We must act on what _is_." Gyatso said wisely, extending his arm toward the natural beauty of the Southern Air Temple's landscape._

_Several sky bison were floating in the air, alongside them their cubs feasting on nearby shrubbery. Sun beams bathed over the land with a golden light and all was at peace with the world._

_"But Gyatso, how do I know if I'm ready for this?"_

_"Your questions will be answered when you're old enough to enter the Air Temple Sanctuary. Inside you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey."_

_Aang used Airbending to shift his position on the ledge to face his teacher. "Who is it?" He asked with curiosity and excitement. _

_"When you are ready he will reveal himself to you." _

_Annoyed by the vague answer, Aang grunted softly and looked up at the sky before resting his chin in his cupped hands. _

_"Now are you going to help me with these cakes? Or not?" He digressed to a bright and happy tone._

_"Alright." Aang rose from the ledge happily and took his position beside Monk Gyatso. _

_"One." They threw their arms back. "Two." They conjured an air ball, swirling their hands. "Three!" The air balls lifted the pies high into the air and disappeared in the clouds. Each of the colorful desserts fell from the sky and landed on an unknowing group of monks meditating in lotus between two trees. Soon after, a parade of lemurs attacked the men and ate away the treats._

_"Ha ha, your aim has improved greatly my young pupil." The two bowed to each other, Gyatso placed a loving hand atop Aang's head._

Aang remained bowed to his old master for some time with a sorrowful look on his face. Katara laid an understanding hand upon his shoulder.

"You must miss him."

"Yeah." He walked off in down cast.

"Where are you going?"

"The Air Temple Sanctuary; there's someone I'm ready to meet."

Katara looked back at Sokka in question, though he could only shrug. Her eyes asked Lana but she too looked as though she hadn't the slightest idea what or who Aang was talking about.

As the three marched behind, they walked over an air symbol painted on the floor. At the end of the corridor a large wooden door adorned with a round network of pipes that connected to three blue pieces. A trunk of some kind was growing up through the floor on the left and branched around the top like an archway on the wall. Small round beams of light illuminated from tiny portals in the hallway.

"But Aang, no one could have survived in there for a hundred years." Katara reasoned.

"It's not impossible. I survived in the iceberg for that long."

"Hmm, good point." She touched a gloved hand to her chin.

"Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!" He said optimistically.

Sokka rubbed his hands together. "And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!"

The thought practically had him drooling causing him to lose his senses and charged the door, smacking face first into it. He turned and put his back to it, thinking he'd push it open. When he realized it wasn't budging he sighed in disappointment and slid down the door to the floor.

"I don't suppose you have a key."

"The _key_ Sokka is Airbending."

Aang took a deep breath; spread his arms, and thrust forward, sending a blast of air current into the pipes on the door. The wind caused the first blue piece to turn, flipping it to reveal the other side. A horn like noise sounded as the air escaped. The steam continued onward inside the pipes and after each piece turned, the door cracked open and exposed a dark room.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Aang's voice echoed into the void.

"Hey! Wait up! You can't just go in there." Lana called.

"Why not?" The Airbender didn't turn around.

"Come on before we lose sight of him." Sokka directed her.

They were swallowed by the darkness.

"So a twelve year old boy bested you and your Firebenders." Zhao scoffed. "You're more pathetic than I thought."

Once again Zuko was sitting agonizingly, this time with two guards standing behind him and Zhao ragging on him.

"I underestimated him once but it will _not_ happen again."

"No it will not- because you won't have a second chance."

"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-"

"And you failed!" Zhao spun around fanning fire into the air. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now."

Zuko growled and leapt out of his chair however was grabbed before he could reach the commander.

"Keep them here." And he walked off.

Zuko lost his temper and kicked the table, it breaking into pieces.

"More tea please." Iroh asked in his polite tone to lighten the tension.

The light casted a bluish and ghostly aura behind the Gaang, lighting a runway down the hall. Their shadows stretched ahead while they stopped to survey the area. Sokka brought his hand to his brow and looked around; in front were sculpted life sized statues by the hundreds. It wasn't until Lana looked up did she realize how many more there were, spiraled along the wall as high as the eye could see. They walked through the crowd of strangers and marveled at the craftsmanship.

"They're all so unique. I don't think there are two the same in here, though they seem similar to each other somehow." Lana spoke not really addressing anyone.

To her left Sokka stopped. "Statues! That's it? Where's the meat?" His whine was ignored by Aang and Katara who had halted.

"Who are all these people?"

"I'm not sure, but it feels like I know them somehow."

"All of them?" Lana asked skeptically and drew back. "That's impossible." She whispered to herself.

"Look! That one's an Airbender."

"And this one's a Waterbender." Katara fingered a man wearing thick furs.

"What are you two insinuating?" And then it dawned on Lana.

"There lined up in a pattern: air, water, earth, fire." Katara spoke.

"That's the Avatar cycle." Aang blurted.

"Of course. They're Avatars. All these people are your past lives Aang."

"Wow there are so many!" Aang circled around following the statues.

"Past lives? Katara you really believe in that stuff?" Sokka joined his sister right as Aang stood before another statue.

"Being a bit skeptical, are we Sokka." Lana grinned as she tried to spot where the ceiling ended.

"Well it was you who didn't believe that Aang knew all these people."

"I have been wrong before you know."

"It's true. When the Avatar dies, he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle." Continued Katara.

Aang stared at the statue, mesmerized by its glinting eyes. Katara grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Aang! Snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

"Who is that?"

"That's Avatar Roku-"

"Roku." Lana whispered to herself as Aang continued on as no one heard her.

"-the Avatar before me."

"You were a Firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met." Sokka admitted.

"There's no writing. How do you know his name?" Katara asked.

"I'm not sure. I just know it somehow."

Sokka let out an irritated growl and crossed his arms. "You just couldn't get any weirder."

"Guys I think something's coming." Lana whispered and nodded her head towards the oddly shaped shadow moving into light. "Hide." She whispered through gritted teeth.

Aang and Katara leapt behind the statue right of the one eclipsing Sokka with Lana veiled by the one on his left.

"Firebender." Sokka whispered. "Nobody make a sound."

"You're making a sound." Katara rebutted.

The boys and Lana put a finger to their lips and shushed her. Katara gritted her teeth as the shadow inched closer and closer.

"That Firebender won't know what hit 'em." Lana watched as Sokka readied his club then moved out from behind. When he lowered his weapon, she took a peak and sighed in relief.

A soft trill came from the small white and brown creature; he lowered his long pointy ears and sat down.

"Aw he's cute…or she." Lana said casually and by then the others had poked out to see.

"Lemur!" Aang yelled.

"Dinner…" Sokka drooled.

Its ears shot up and flexed back and forth. He purred and tilted his head sideways.

"Don't listen to him. You're going to be my new pet."

"Yeah Aang, like we really need another mouth to feed." Lana reasoned as Sokka cut her off.

"Not if I get him first!"

The two lunged for the lemur and it naturally took off. Aang gained the lead when Sokka fell and he used his head as a stepping stone. The warrior quickly recouped and they were racing down the corridor. Sokka swung his club at Aang's legs but he just ran up the walls and kept going. He dropped down in front, spun around and threw an air ball at his competitor successfully knocking him down. Sokka remained on the floor, with his hood slung over his head, in defeat.

A balcony ended the hall but didn't limit the lemur or Aang for that matter. The Airbender plummeted off the side laughing the entire way down. He landed stories below on a rock column, bouncing his way down on more that slowed his momentum. By then Sokka was at the dead end yelling, "Hey no fair!"

Zhao trekked through the snow before reaching his guarded tent.

"My search party is ready." He was allowed by the guards to pass through the flap and enter. "Once I'm out to sea my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go."

"Why?" Zuko asked stiffly. "Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" He taunted; his reply: a hearty laugh from Zhao.

"_You_ stop me? Impossible."

"Don't underestimate me Zhao. I _will_ capture the Avatar _before_ you."

"Prince Zuko, that's enough." Iroh advised as he rose from his seat.

"You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command. And you…you're just a banished prince; _no_ home, _no_ allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honor- and restore my rightful place on the throne."

"If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return- Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."

"That's not true." With Zuko's stubborn nature he refused to let the commander taint his beliefs.

"You have the scar to prove it."

He had enough. Zuko growled and leapt from his chair. "Maybe you'd like one to match!" He threatened, jaw clenched. A heat rose inside him and he felt like his blood was boiling.

"Is that a challenge?"

"An Agni Kai. At sunset."

"Very well." The commander stood straight. "It's a shame your father won't be to here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do." And he walked off after his dangerous words.

A moment or so passed before Uncle had said anything, wanting Zhao a healthy distance away.

"Prince Zuko. Have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?" His disbelief carried with each word.

"I will never forget." He answered darkly.

Finally reaching the bottom of the mountain, the lemur sat smartly then leapt at the sound of Aang crashing toward him. The animal disappeared between a set of decaying curtains.

"Hey! Come back!" He walked over, pushed the drapes aside and searched for any sings of his furry friend. "Come on out little lemur! That hungry guy won't bother you anymore." He passed through another set of shades and halted with a gasp.

"Firebenders?" His young eyes followed a trail of armored bones half buried in the snow. "They were here?" Against the back wall lied the man he grew to love like a father, his mentor. Hung around his neck was the very same pendent, undisturbed. "Gyatso." Aang crippled to the ground as the tears stung his orbs and escaped.

"Hey Aang, have you found my dinner yet?" Sokka emerged from the other side of the curtains and saw Aang's distraught form. "Aang, I wasn't really going to eat the lemur. Okay?" He reassured him with a happy smile which quickly vanished at the sight of what was left of his teacher's dead body. "Oh man." He put a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Come on Aang. Everything will be alright. Let's get out of here."

His tattoos glowed a light blue causing Sokka to back away in fear. Back inside the temple, the eyes of every statue illuminated.

A man in the Earth Kingdom sat praying but was awaken by the same glow that burned in the temple of the Water Tribe and Fire Nation.

"Send word to the Fire Lord immediately." The Fire Sage instructed. "The Avatar has returned."

"Aang." Katara ran Lana right behind her.

"What do you think's going on?" Lana breathed.

"I don't know, but it can't be good." Terror shook her voice.

"Don't worry." Two empty words of reassurance; Lana kept her racing mind from thinking of the worst, thinking that their voyage was ending so soon.

The wind began to pick up inside, an air dome forming around the child and growing larger by the second.

"Come on snap out of it!" He yelled and was pushed back by the sheer force. Without warning the shelter exploded into pieces as Sokka flew out and landed behind the rubble.

"What happened?" Katara yelled over the sound of whooshing air.

She clutched the rock Sokka held onto. Lana came up behind them and held onto each of their shoulders.

"He found out Firebenders killed Gyatso!"

"Oh no! It's his Avatar spirit. He must have triggered it! I'm gonna try and calm him down!"

"Well do it before he blows us off the mountain!"

She nodded.

"Be careful!" Lana let go of her and took her place.

Slowly she paced towards him, the wind pushing her back and causing her to stumble. Aang lifted into the air.

Surrounding him on all four sides were the thick high walls of a dueling court with only two exits, one behind each challenger. The sky had turned yellow, the clouds red and orange. Sunset had arrived and it was high time for Zuko to come through on his challenge. The two crouched in front of their audience, consisting of Uncle Iroh and Zuko's guardsmen, on opposite ends of the massive bricked yard.

"Remember you Firebending basics Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons."

"I refuse to let him win." Zuko stood and turned, his open shawl falling to the ground and exposing his chiseled features; Zhao doing the same.

"This will end quickly." Confidence oozed from every pore.

The gong sounded and they took their stances, momentarily staring the other down. Zuko drew his fire back slowly then punched it out. Zhao sidestepped and felt the heat fly past. The prince shot again and again each missing his target. Another blast scattered with a circular block. Zuko breathed quickly and flicked a roundhouse kick of fire; grabbed, pulled down to the ground and flung back.

Zhao swiped away a surge of fire to his left. Zuko threw another fiery roundhouse. Zhao leapt forward with his hands together and crouched, drilling from his side and up, slicing the wave of fire. The heat was intense and he could feel his arms heat up, the sweat drying up as it formed. The surged ended and the commander rose to his feet.

Zuko had thrown everything into the fight but his opponent was truly a skilled master. His lungs burned and Zhao had hardly fought back at all.

"Basics Zuko! Break his root!" Iroh encouraged desperately hoping it would end soon.

Zhao lunged on his right and punched. Zuko broke the flames and sent them behind. Zhao stomped several more times each with more force than the first, the teen absorbing the shock and whipping back. Finally the last had so much power it knocked the Fire Prince back.

The gravel scrapped his back raw. He grunted and made to sit up right as Zhao pounced and thudded in front of him. He clenched his fists, steam pouring and punched with his right. Zuko spun and kicked his leg out from under him.

He stood with his side facing Zhao. He stepped and fire licked at the commander's heels. Zhao stumbled back. Zuko stepped again and again, delivering his final blow, a waist high kick with enough thrust to send his enemy rolling on his sides. Calmly he walked and stood over him, holding his fists.

"Do it!" Zhao taunted.

Zuko punched and charred the ground to the left of his head.

"That's it? Your father raised a coward."

"Next time you get in my way I _promise_ I won't hold back." The banished prince turned his back and sauntered off.

Commander Zhao growled and when he made it to his feet he kicked out a fire blast of fury stopped by Uncle. He grabbed the man's foot and sent him sliding back. Zuko answered with his own growl and was held back by Iroh.

"No Prince Zuko." He said sternly. "Do not taint your victory." He then turned to face the despicable soldier. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful." His words visibly stung Zhao. "Even in exile my nephew is more honorable than you." The old man's expression softened. "Thanks for the tea. It was delicious."

When they reached the outer perimeter of the courtyard Zuko whispered, "Did you really mean what you said back there Uncle?"

"Of course. I told you ginseng tea was my favorite."

Zuko grinned and for the first time in a while felt a beacon of honor he had never seen come from within.

Debris flew in a vortex encasing the Avatar and limiting their vision.

"Aang I know you're upset. And I know how hard it is to lose the people you love." Her words were kind and sincere.

Lana ran the pendent between her fingers mindlessly.

"I went through the same thing when I lost my mom." Katara touched one hand to her mother's necklace around her neck.

Tears pooled in her eyes and Lana rubbed them convincing herself it was the fragments of the wreck.

"Monk Gyatso and the other Airbenders may be gone- but you still have a family. Sokka and I and Lana, we're your family now."

And sure enough Katara's words reached him; he began to descend, the wind easing up and dying.

"We're not going to let anything happen to you. Promise." Sokka added as they finally were able to stand beside him.

Katara held his hand and his tattoos ceased to glow. The after affect over took him, his limbs grew heavy and he feel into the arms of Katara.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"But you were right. And if Firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other one's too. I really am the last Airbender."

Katara embraced him in a warm hug.

Lana's body trembled unknowingly under her thick parka. The cold had set in deeper than she had imagined. She snapped her head around and walked off, the tears in her eyes drying before they could form. She pulled her necklace off her wrist and tied it around her neck, shaking her hands at her sides, flexing her arms back and forth.

Aang stood for the last time in front of his previous incarnation.

"Everything's packed." Katara stood behind him with her hands in her sleeves. "You ready to go?"

"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?"

"We'll just have to figure that out now won't we. Come on." Lana tilted her head toward the exit.

They heard the familiar footsteps of their furry friend. He hopped over to Sokka with an armful of fruit, sat it at his feet and scurried away.

"Looks like you've made a new friend Sokka." Aang smiled.

"Can't talk. Must eat." He mumbled.

The lemur curled his tail around the boy's neck and gripped the back of his smooth head.

"Hey little guy."

He purred and blinked his green orbs.

"You, me and Appa; we're all that's left of this place." The winged lemur rested on his companions hand; Aang rubbed Appa's large cheek. "We have to stick together. Katara, Sokka, Lana-" He turned and faced his friends. "Welcome the newest member of our family."

Lana's mind was too preoccupied to rebut against the thought of feeding another mouth.

"What are you gonna name him?" Curiosity had always followed Katara closely.

The small creature leapt from his perch on Aang's arm and stole a peach from Sokka.

"Momo."

The warrior stood there with his mouth hanging open, apparently shocked by Momo's actions. Katara and Aang giggled. A small smile flashed over Lana's lips as she tried her hardest to fabricate a happy mood.

"Sokka you'll attract flies." She suggested.

He growled lowly and clamped it shut.

Once in the air, things were calm again. Lana was beginning to find a slight comfort in flying that had replaced her fear of falling thousands of feet. She stretched out in the saddle, Sokka at the helm and Katara next to him. Momo trilled sadly as he and Aang, who was draped over the comforters, watched as his home vanished behind the clouds.

**Man this killed my back I hope you know. So please…review. It keeps me going in more ways than one. **

**So what do you think of Lana? What's the **_**real**_** reason for her "ailment"? Btw any speaking that italicized is all Lana's thoughts (3rd person limited) I know things aren't that interesting involving her, but give me some time. **

**Oh and another thing. It might be a while till this picks back up. **


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